Imagine Tara Davis-Woodhall running on the track to complete her jump at the penultimate moment! With only one attempt remaining to confirm her berth, she is already falling behind schedule. In this tense track & field moment, suddenly an advertisement pops up on your device’s screen to disconnect you from everything. How would you feel about that? Irritated? Most probably! Well, Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co-founder, had the same feeling a few months ago!

As an avid American athletics fan, he was glued to his screen, palms pressed together, hoping against hope that Tara would pull through at the US trials in Eugene. Unfortunately, Tara was struggling, having slipped to fifth place, and Ohanian was there for every nerve-wracking moment. Describing his emotions, Ohanian shared, “I was crushed watching her in Eugene ‘cause she messed up nearly first couple.” And as if that wasn’t enough, the ad break was the cherry on top of his irritation cake.

In his conversation with Citius Mag, Alexis Ohanian couldn’t hide his frustration over such a break on the live feeds. “I’m trying to pay attention to her. Why is there an ad thing on here?” he vented his emotion. Moreover, Serena Williams’ husband presented a contrasting picture where his question felt to be apt. 

At the US Olympic track and field trials, Tara Davis-Woodhall found herself in a high-stakes ‘ make it or break it’ scenario. With just three attempts left to snag a top-three spot and secure her place at the Paris Olympics, the tension was palpable. Commentators were all over the numbers and probabilities, turning the drama up a notch for the world indoor champion.

Amidst this high-pressure moment, Tara was her own biggest cheerleader, pumping herself up and readying for that crucial leap. Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co-founder, and an avid track and field fan, couldn’t help but marvel at her energy. He said, “She’s such a show woman, show person. And she’s, she’s so dynamic. The crowd is energized, they’re so excited.” But his excitement was abruptly interrupted when he saw the dreaded “ad break.”

Ohanian’s reaction? “Okay, what?” The ad turned out to be the ultimate ‘ showstopper’—a bitter irony for someone so invested in the action. In his words, “I understand the purpose of that is not, not a storyteller for the purpose.” But Ohanian’s got a potential game-changer on the horizon with Athlos NYC. Could this be the key to a smoother sports experience?

How is Athlos NYC addressing issues faced by track & field athletes like Tara Davis-Woodhall?

Tara Davis-Woodhall had a point over the sponsorship issue in April this year. She fumed over the World Athletics for not being generous enough to the athletes who were going through a shortage of money. “Why do we have to go all the way to Europe, spend all this money, and barely get a dime when we come back to the [United] States?” she threw the question at all authorities specifically. Nonetheless, Alexis Ohanian has an answer. 

He has introduced the women-only track and field contest Athlos NYC, which will submit a stunning number to the purse as the prize money. The inaugural race is set to watch the green signal on September 26 at Icahn Stadium in New York City. The attraction of the contest goes on so long that even Tara once asked Alexis to make her part of the contest: “Can I be a part of the field events meet?”

However, Alexis had a reply, mixing both hope and despair: “Don’t be mad… we’re not doing field events for this… it’ll just be track, but I have ideas and definitely wanna get you involved.” That proves that the entrepreneur has further plans in mind to develop the sport. But he has yet to shed light on television broadcasting rights. Meanwhile, the exceptional contest has promised to give space for the stories of each competing athlete. 

“It’s our job to tell the story of these athletes every day they aren’t competing,” Kayla Green, the CMO of Athlos, mentioned. As of now, the details about broadcasting and potential ad interruptions for Athlos NYC remain unclear. With major brands like Oiselle already on board, there’s a chance we’ll get some behind-the-scenes glimpses of the campaign. But we’ll have to wait a few more weeks for a definitive answer. What do you think about Alexis Ohanian’s stance on the broadcasting issues? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Before you go, don’t miss this exclusive scoop from EssentiallySports’ Think Tank. One of America’s most talented volleyball players, Maddisen Skinner’s coach, reveals secrets about his star student.